


the risk/reward ratio

by sleeplessthrills



Category: Start-Up (Korea TV), 스타트업 | Start-Up
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28049556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleeplessthrills/pseuds/sleeplessthrills
Summary: What things could have been like if there were no letters.
Relationships: Han Ji-Pyeong/Seo Dal-Mi, Han Jipyeong/Seo Dalmi
Comments: 58
Kudos: 194
Collections: Good Boy’s Happy Endings





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have yet to move on from Jipyeong (surprise, surprise), so here is yet another Jipyeong x Dalmi story. I loved Seo Dalmi at the beginning of the show when she was more spunky and alive, and I was sad to see that lessened as the show progressed. So here is a version of the story in which our characters just met as adults.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Shouldn’t we support one another?”

“Are you intent on starting a business or becoming a charity? Focus on your own company. You’re barely making any profit.”

“Who says we have to be one or the other?”

“Says me! I’m your investor.”

“It does not mean you can be--”

“Dalmi-ya? Are we… can we…” Dosan fidgeted nervously with his hands, “Can we start the meeting? Chulsan has to go home soon because it’s his mom’s birthday and…” he trailed off, faltering at the intensity of the look that Jipyeong and Dalmi were shooting his way.

“Yes,” the latter turned and stomped towards the door, chin raised a little too much.

“Stop volunteering you and your team’s time to beta test,” Jipyeong’s voice was laced with his trademark tone of deceptively casual even though it was the exact opposite. No one has perfected that quite like him - that ‘I’m-right-and-you-are-wrong-so-you-will-listen-to-me’ tone that could you quivering in fear. She bet that if she looked back, he was already reading emails on his desktop as if they didn’t just have an argument. He always looked unfazed while she would walk away huffing and puffing, high on emotions and adrenaline. He was always much better at this than she was.

“Was he upset?” Chulsan’s question greeted her when she walked into the office, Dosan trailing behind feebly. She ignored his question and sat at the empty seat on the round table. “I knew it,” Chulsan sighed, wagging his index finger, white bulb waving in the air, unlit. “It’s fine. He’ll get over it,” she turned to Yongsan who was standing by the giant whiteboard, gesturing for him to start.

“So with the update…”

Dalmi shook her shoulders to get herself in the zone. Even though she’s been in the industry for five years, this was her first year as CEO and there’s still a lot of gaps in her knowledge of the technical aspect of the technology. Thankfully, the three engineers in Samsan Tech were always very kind and patient in explaining everything to her. But she liked to let them finish their presentation before asking questions, so she always had to be extra focused during these technical meetings, taking notes of terminologies and things she needed to clarify later.

“...the etymology is the only thing we need to fully test the feature before we can go beta.”

Dalmi nodded, pleased with the progress.

“How long until we can be ready for beta? I’ll draw up a launch timeline…” Saha asked, arms crossed in her trademark look of resting-bitch-face which really meant intense focus.

“That’s the thing…” Yongsan scratched his head, “The databases we got are really outdated and messed up--” he was interrupted by the collective groan from everyone else in the room.

Dalmi buried her head in her hands, already hearing the sound of Jipyeong’s voice prattling on and on and on about how this feature was not the best one to be added when they had just launched for less than a year. He hadn’t said anything when she updated him and Boss Lady (what they call Yoon Seon Hak, the CEO of SH Ventures, behind her back) but she knew that it was only because Boss Lady had been so supportive of their vision. She went on to explain how the number of medications she has to take just kept growing and this feature in NoonGil would really help. Dalmi was excited to receive such an enthusiastic green light that she scampered out of the room before Jipyeong could burst the bubble. But she knew exactly what he thought. 

And true enough, a week later, she was proven correct when Jipyeong told her how this feature was a risky addition since it will not be beneficial or automatically used by all of their users. Not only that, the database of etymology will need continuous maintenance for it to be useful, which just means a lot of work for the team with little payoff, considering their app was still and will remain free. “You should focus on just marketing the app and looking for partnership abroad. Right now, this is not a very wise risk to take,” he concluded with his trademark tone of ‘this-is-all-very-obvious’ and dismissive eyes which did not deter Dalmi from retorting back a little too huffily, “We ran the numbers and this is the direction that we’re going.” He gave her a look which communicated how he knew she had not run the numbers, but when she didn’t budge, he sighed. “I’ll have Dong Cheon pass the number of a person who could give you some databases…” he relented. Dalmi’s smile had been wide at the time, glad to know that this update was progressing swimmingly, but now she’s not sure.

“If the database was gonna be crap, we should’ve done it ourselves instead of doing twice the work,” Saha grumbled.

Dalmi sighed and looked around at her team, trying to muster as much positivity as she could before saying, “It’s alright. We’ll divide the work so that we can meet the deadline. One month?” she gave Dosan a questioning look and he nodded.

“One month.”

The lightbulb in her index finger turned blue, an indication of the positive increase in her mood (though she noticed that the other team members’ lightbulbs had stayed firmly unlit). Thankfully, her CTO was a genius, and if anyone were going to get this done, it would be him and the rest of the Samsan Tech crew. So she nodded, determination renewed.

_ They can do this. _

***

After another long day of phone calls, emails, and now sorting through a database of medications sold in South Korea, Dalmi was glad to be walking down the halls of Sandbox with Saha who was talking about a new modern fusion restaurant that just opened in Gangnam, which normally was not an interesting topic of conversation for Dalmi but she indulged anyway, nodding and yes-ing during appropriate moments. Saha was just talking about taking Chulsan there and Dalmi was containing her laughter, imagining how their very lovesick puppy engineer would probably balk at the presentation of the food when the elevator door opened and they were greeted by Han Jipyeong.

Dalmi quickly hid the lightbulb in the pocket of her blazer. The last thing she wanted was for him to make yet another comment about the favor she was doing for her friend’s new company.

“CEO Seo, is your company going to announce soon?” he asked, eyes trained forward and Dalmi could see the growing smirk from the reflection on the metal door.

“Announce what?”

“That you’re pivoting to a mood-detecting lightbulb company.”

Saha snorted while Dalmi took a deep breath. Of course, sensible Saha would not be caught dead wearing such a thing - especially after hours. But Dalmi had promised her friend she would give her feedback tomorrow and she’d like to be able to test the product as long as she could - that was why she put it on before leaving the office today. But now, she wished she hadn’t.

“Soon. You’ll get the invitation Director Han, don’t worry,” she retorted coolly but it only made the dimples appear more prominently on his face. He was clearly enjoying every moment of this, which filled Dalmi with both amusement and annoyance.

“You know, Director Han, you really ought to be more supportive of our endeavor. We are trying to be good neighbors, good people. Super Helpful. Isn’t that what SH Ventures stand for?”

He scoffed, “I think our CEO will take issue with your liberty of our company’s name, and besides, I am being supportive. I told you I would attend the launch of this new lightbulb, right?”

“I think Boss Lady will be very happy to see us help another startup - isn’t it in the spirit of this company?”

“To help start-ups, yes. Not to waste money on stupid technologies.”

“It’s not stupid,” she waved her index finger with the lightbulb attached, “It’s helpful! Some people aren’t very  _ sensitive  _ to the feelings of others. They need to help to know how others are feeling.”

“I don’t think I need a lightbulb to tell me how you’re feeling.”

“You--”

“I’m off. See you tomorrow, Dalmi-ya,” Saha nodded briefly to Jipyeong, “Director Han.”

They both nodded in acknowledgment before walking towards the other side of the parking lot.

“You are such an ass.”

“I’m just telling you. As an objective party--” Dalmi scoffed very loudly at this but Jipyeong pressed on. “As an  _ objective _ party,” he emphasized, “There’s a reason why your friend’s company didn’t make it to Sandbox.”

“Because you guys didn’t choose them!”

“For a reason,” he started the car.

Dalmi strapped herself in, still huffing.

“You can’t honestly think  _ this, _ ” he lifted her index finger up in the air, “...is a solution to  _ anything _ .”

She pouted. She knew he was right - she just got carried away arguing with him, which happened quite often when it came to this man.

“Two-Two?” he asked.

The lightbulb turned blue and he laughed.

“Alright, alright,” he began to drive, “But for the record, I didn’t need that bulb to tell me that you want fried chicken.”

Their argument continued as they bickered over which fried chicken to get (Jipyeong: half-half, Dalmi: fried) and when they arrived home, they were in the middle of yet another debate about which fried chicken joint is the best (Jipyeong: BHC, Dalmi: Two-Two).

“Two-Two is one of the oldest franchises in the country. There’s a reason why they’re still around,” she said as she took off her shoes at the front door. “Just because something is old, it doesn’t automatically make it better or best,” he slipped into his house slipper and dropped his suit jacket on the couch. “That’s not what I said,” she followed suit, “I’m saying that there’s a merit in tradition and--”

“Yah! Will you two quit it? We’re at the dinner table,” Halmeoni barked.

“Yes, Halmeoni,” they said in unison.

***

This is how they met:

Seo Dalmi was a part of Sandbox’s 1st Hackathon where she became a part of a company as a Strategic Planning Manager. During Demo Day, after her CEO presented their app which would connect parents to private tuition or  _ hagwon _ teachers, Han Jipyeong - SH Ventures’ newest Junior Partner who had made waves the youngest and fastest-rising VC in the industry - asked deep-cutting questions which left her CEO a bumbling mess that she ended up jumping on stage to answer the questions instead. Suffice to say, her company did not win on Demo Day but they also didn’t fail “spectacularly” as Jipyeong predicted.

But their relationship continued to be icy - they mostly ignored each other and they stayed away from one another’s path, though she sent death glares his way anytime their paths do cross in the Sandbox compound. She did, however, hear stories about the great Han Jipyeong. Everyone either feared him, respected him, or some combination of the two, but no one doubted his insight and ability. 

It wasn’t until he saw her at her grandma’s hot dog stall, laughing in a way that she had never seen before (he had dimples! Two of them! She had never noticed until that afternoon) that she learned his story. He grew up in an orphanage and when he was 18, forced to leave the orphanage and find his own way, he met Halmeoni who took him in. He would sleep in the hot dog stall and help Halmeoni manage her business’ meager finances. This went on for a few years until he left for university and they lost touch. Halmeoni told her how he paid his way through university with scholarships and the money he made in investments. The rest she already knew - how he graduated top of his class in SNU and received a full-ride from Wharton. How, before he even graduated, he was sought out by virtually every VC in the country but he chose SH Ventures after one meeting with Yoon Seon Hak where the woman had taken him to a neighborhood kimchi  _ jjigae _ shop instead of the fancy restaurants the other firms had taken him to. Hearing all of that made her see him with new eyes but whenever she saw him say something not-so-nice (but admittedly, almost always true), she’d get annoyed all over again, though perhaps with less intensity than before.

Han Jipyeong always knew that Halmeoni had granddaughters but he didn’t know much about them beyond their names in passing. From what he gathered, Halmeoni didn’t play a very active part in her granddaughters’ life save for the holidays. He didn’t know until a year ago when he reconnected with Halmeoni that her son had passed away shortly after he started university. So when he heard her call his name (rather rudely, he might add, based on how high the tone and volume was) as he was catching up with Halmeoni, he couldn’t hide his shock. His first gut instinct was to balk at how someone so wonderful could be related to someone so…  _ fiery. _ But then he immediately corrected his assessment to a resounding ‘yes of course they’d be related.’ Where else could she have gotten it from if not the woman who had shoved the key to her hot dog stall into his unwilling palms in the middle of pouring rain? Nowhere else would she have gotten that spunk if not from one Choi Won Deok. 

He had always found her fascinating - he had never met anyone with quite as much compassion and gusto as her. It baffled him that someone with her talents would be so loyal to a company that, in his objective  _ expert  _ opinion, was bound to fail. Over the past year that her company had been in Sandbox, he’d been at the receiving end of her death glares and though he usually ignored it, he couldn’t help but find it amusing too. She was fascinating, this Seo Dalmi. But once he saw her and Halmeoni, everything made perfect sense. Suddenly, he could no longer ignore the glares she sent his way. And since Halmeoni saw them working in the same place as an opportunity to feed him (which essentially means Dalmi being an unhappy mule for various boxes of  _ banchans _ and snacks), they found themselves in each other’s orbit more and more. In other words, she has decidedly grown past the point of ‘Fascinating Person’ for Jipyeong.

Four years have now passed since that fateful Demo Day and a lot has changed. Dalmi left that company two years ago and started her own company with three plaid-wearing developers and a former lawyer-turned designer who looked like she should be on a runway instead of a shitty rooftop office. It turned out, one of the developers was a genius and had created the best AI solution in the market. Combined with her natural talents, they impressed everyone and was now one of SH Ventures’ most high profile investments. Jipyeong was no longer just a Junior Partner. When he was promoted to Senior Partner last year, he became the youngest Senior Partner in Asia (to celebrate, he bought the most expensive beef he could buy and asked Halmeoni to grill it for him at her house).

But some things stayed the same.

“I see you’re still running a charity,” he commented as he entered the elevator after her.

She rolled her eyes, “I see you got up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

“This is me in my normal state.”

“You’re right,” she handed him a lunch bag, “Grumpy is your state of being.”

The elevator door opened and she stepped out, “Wash the container before you return it tonight.”

Before the door closed, she heard him say, “What do you take me for? A monster?”

She shook her head as she walked down the hallway to her office, unable to keep the small smile off of her lips.

***

Jipyeong was on the phone when he heard the door to his office be burst open louder than usual. When he glanced over, ready to shoot whoever it was an annoyed-glare for being so noisy, he was met with a very angry Dalmi who was waving a stack of paper in the air. He quickly wrapped up his conversation and turned to her, who wasted no time in slamming said papers on his desk.

“What did you do?”

It took him a few more seconds to figure out what she meant and when he did, he instantly relaxed. “You have a funny way of saying thank you,” his voice level with a tinge of amusement.

She glared, chest still heaving, “I appreciate it,” she began, “I really do. But you know I hate it when you do this.”

“I do and it was worth the risk.”

She had been bracing herself in one of the empty conference rooms to make phone calls to a bunch of companies which had CSR money to spend. With NoonGil’s successful launch and stellar reputation, she was hoping she could raise more funds since they were quickly burning through what they had as a result of their growing daily average user. She had obtained this list from Dong Cheon who had become their company’s biggest cheerleader, especially ever since his geriatric grandfather became more active with the help of NoonGil. She didn’t mind doing these calls - she did it without hesitation for Saha last year during Sandbox - but these phone calls were exhausting. There was only so much politeness one could continue to do after being rejected over and over again. So she was preparing herself for a day of excessive niceties and politeness when she was met with an unexpected response in her first phone call. “Ah yes! We’re waiting for the term sheet. We’re just so excited to support NoonGil,” the woman had said. That was five minutes ago and now she was staring at the man behind it all, looking the complete opposite of how she was feeling.

She sighed, exasperated, “Please tell me before you do things on my behalf.”

“Would you have let me do it?”

“Of course not,” she tried to keep her voice from rising too much but had failed.

“See?” he said this as if he had won the argument, which just made her sigh even deeper.

“The point is that you can’t keep doing things secretly and quietly like this. I’m the CEO. Let me do my job.”

He eyed her for a moment before nodding, “Fine.”

This wasn’t the first time that he had done this - do some crazy, wild favour for her without her knowing. It was why she didn’t tell him that she had started her own company and had insisted that Jipyeong be kept in the dark about all of this. But of course he found out very quickly because South Korea was a small country and everyone knew everyone in the start-up community. This had led to an epic three-day fight because she refused to take a meeting with SH Ventures, insisting that she did not want to participate in nepotism. He had laughed, pointing out that it wouldn’t be one since they’re not related, and that she was stupid for refusing help. Of course, this did not go over well with her who was especially short on patience as a result of months and months of work at trying to get her company off the ground while still working at the coffee shop to make ends meet. They finally made up when he sent her an email with a list of reasons why Samsan Tech and NoonGil will fail - largely due to its non-profitability. He ended the email by saying that despite everything, they’ll succeed because she’s at the helm. Upon reading that, she burst into tears. The next day, she showed up at his apartment with coffee and their proposal.

So this tendency of his to interfere irritated her sometimes - not because she doesn’t like his help, but because she wanted to be part of it too. She knew he did all those things because he cared, but his lack of communication about… well… everything… was frustrating. The guy was terrible at talking to people, though he was good at telling people to do things.

In the present day, he stood up from his chair, grabbed his suit jacket, and asked, “ _ Kong guksu _ ?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm in no way an expert on the world of start-ups, so the details regarding the issues facing the companies may be highly inaccurate.

The story of  _ kong guksu _ went like this:

In the early days of Samsan Tech, Dalmi focused a lot of her efforts on securing funding for the company so they could hit the ground running. The server cost alone had kept her up at night, so during the day, she’d go and visit anyone who would potentially be interested in NoonGil. One investor she approached had canceled their morning meeting, citing an emergency in his factory in Gapyeong. Dalmi being Dalmi, she lied through her teeth and told the guy that she happened to be in Gapyeong and would be able to meet him there. Long story short, by late afternoon, she walked away with no investment and stranded in the rather rural town.

She was just in the middle of cursing her luck, wincing with each step in her heels when she saw Jipyeong pull up. She eyed him suspiciously at first - this was before she had told him about Samsan Tech for fear that he would interfere - but then the shooting pain on her feet reminded her that she might die if she had to walk all the way to the nearest bus stop in those shoes. He could sense her hesitation and said that he goes to Gapyeong once a week to eat  _ kong guksu.  _ She nodded and found it enough of a reason to get in his car and accept his help.

The next day, a text message arrived on Jipyeong’s phone with a list of the top five  _ kong guksu  _ restaurants in Seoul, followed by a request that he pick one as she would like to treat him for a meal as a thank you. That afternoon, at the  _ kong guksu  _ restaurant nearby, Jipyeong had to pretend not to be amazed by the bowl of cold soybean soup and noodles presented before him. It was his first time and he tried his best to not look surprised by how delicious it was.

“You don’t have to keep up the act,” she rolled her eyes, “This is your first time, right?”

When he said nothing in response, she laughed, “Should we bring some back for Halmeoni?”

In the present day, they walked into the very same restaurant with a sense of familiarity born out of regular patronage. They took a seat in a corner that seemed to be reserved for just the two of them - it was by the window, in perfect view of the television, and the door. He uncuffed the buttons on his wrist before rolling the sleeves to his forearms while she loosely tied her hair back, letting the scrunchie rest on her upper back.

This was a routine of theirs where they’d use this time to catch up on whatever else was going in their lives. Jipyeong told her about something that Dong Cheon said about a start-up that wanted to develop a dating app that could match you to people in your proximity.

She scrunched, “So… Tinder?”

“Exactly what I said to Dong Cheon but he said their algorithm is more sophisticated or something. A pass, obviously.”

She nodded.

“Hana Bank approached Injae Company for a forgery recognition software,” she began, “I think unnie would poach Dosan if she could,” she sighed.

Her relationship with her sister has always been a little complicated in this regard. They were both competitive with one another, perhaps more than she’d like. After the divorce, the two sisters had been separated from Injae growing up in America with their mother while Dalmi stayed with their father in Seoul. Reunited as an adult, both CEOs in their own right, they were happy to be reunited again but Dalmi could sense the guilt gnawing at her sister for leaving them behind. This seemed like Injae’s drive to succeed, to do  _ better  _ than Dalmi. On the other hand, Dalmi didn’t really want to compete with anyone - much less her sister. That was why it unsettled her anytime they talked about work because on one hand, she wanted nothing more than for her sister to be happy and do well, but Injae could also become too intense, comparing projects and revenues. 

“Are you going to let her? Since you’re in the business of charity.”

She chose to ignore his comment and continued to explain that her sister has been really stressed out because Morning Group, their main investor, has really been pushing her to up their revenue stream.

“Gee, imagine that - an investor wanting the company to make  _ money. _ ”

“Oh hush you.”

He chuckled into his bowl. She was a great company - his favorite, in fact - precisely because they could do this with each other: talk, joke, and she was just oh so fun to tease.

“Let’s go on a picnic or something,” she said as they walked out of the restaurant, “Halmeoni, unnie, me, you… we can take the rest of Samsan Tech and her company too. It’ll be fun! Things have been really stressful at Samsan too. We could all use the break.”

He groaned - he hated these types of bonding activities. He’s always made it a point to be away during these outings for SH Ventures. But seeing the brilliant glint on her face made him keep his complaining to a minimum, letting her excitedly plan the trip aloud as they made their way back to the office.

***

The truth was that it was she that needed this camping trip more than anyone else.

It has been almost one year since they launched NoonGil and their user base has grown rapidly, especially after Park Chan Ho posted about them on his social media. But every time the Samsan guys celebrated another milestone of daily active users, her heart dropped. There’s a calculator in her mind which tallied the cost of all this and she dreaded the rapid decline of their money.

Jipyeong had been right (of course) when he said that their company was going to struggle to make money. It’s against their principle to put ads on the app or to turn into the freemium model where they’d charge a subscription fee for more sophisticated features. So investors were not necessarily clamoring to invest. They were lucky enough that SH Ventures had become the primary seed funder, but she knew that they needed to start their Series A funding soon. In order to do that, they needed to really improve the app and find ways to monetize their services in order to attract enough investors, which is an enormous pressure that she has yet to share with the rest of the team, opting to keep it all to herself - she just didn’t have the heart to burst their bubble. That was why she needed this getaway.

She surveyed her surroundings and took stock of the crowd of a dozen people in the campsite they rented. The crackle of the firepit was proving to be more soothing than she ever thought possible and she found herself mesmerized by the dance of the fire. She could hear the sound of quiet chatter and occasional laughter coming from everyone who was scattered around the campsite. In her periphery, she could see Jipyeong laughing with her grandmother who was pointing at him with the ladle. They were seated around the stove and she guessed that Jipyeong was currently being bossed around as her grandmother prepared dinner. 

There was something about being in the outdoors that just set everyone at ease, she observed, as she watched Dosan and Yongsan chat with Jipyeong as they peeled vegetables. Throughout the trip so far, she’d seen how everyone seemed to discover this other side of Jipyeong which was still just as sarcastic but with softer edges. Everyone in Samsan Tech had only seen him in his capacity as their mentor and investor in Sandbox that they always associated him with his cutting remarks and sharp observations. So the past two days, they got to see him in a different light and they have visibly relaxed around the guy, able to joke around and laugh over stupid jokes by the campfire and during the hike. Some part of her had to admit that she enjoyed having this - this relaxed, jumper-wearing, and smiley Jipyeong - be her own little secret, one that she shared with her grandmother. But she decided that the world deserved to see the other side of Jipyeong too - the side that she has come to rely on for comfort and strength in recent years. So she returned to her firepit observation, allowing her mind to block out the worries and anxieties waiting for her in Seoul for just a few more moments.

By the time dinner was ready, she found herself sandwiched between Halmeoni and Jipyeong who had decided that Dalmi would be the best person to serve the  _ jjigae.  _ She grumbled that the steam from the hot stew was fogging up her glasses, but it fell on deaf ears as they thrust the ladle in her hand. Dutifully, she poured the stew on the disposable bowls. She was just about to take a bite of her food when Halmeoni reached across to place a giant piece of fish on Jipyeong’s bowl, effectively blocking her from eating.

“Halmeoni, I want some too,” she pouted.

“Patience, patience,” the older woman grumbled before placing a smaller piece of fish on her rice. Normally, she’d protest at the blatant display of unfairness but she was too busy picking out the mushrooms from her stew.

“Yah! Are you five? Don’t pick at your food!” Halmeoni chastised as Dalmi placed another mushroom on Jipyeong’s bowl.

“Are you allergic to mushrooms?” Yongsan who was seated across from them asked.

“Of course not. She’s just picky,” Jipyeong answered with a smirk, which earned him an elbow to the arm. Still smirking, he unscrewed the caps of a water bottle before handing it to Dalmi.

This display of friendliness between the two was something unusual for the Samsan Tech crew who was accustomed to seeing them bicker and argue in the office. Saha was the only one who seemed to be unfazed by this, a knowing smile on her lips.

After dinner, she sat with Halmeoni in front of the tent, legs stretched out and facing the fire. To the side, she observed Saha, Chulsan, Yongsan, and a few engineers from Injae’s company engage in a heated game of UNO. Jipyeong, on the other hand, was seated at the bench with her unnie and Dosan. Dosan gesticulating wildly was a clear sign that they were discussing something which excited the engineer. She, on the other hand, was content to continue her game of stare-at-the-fire. It seemed to be the only thing that allowed her mind to calm somewhat. The sight of her team would bring up thoughts about the company’s future and she would like to stay away from those thoughts this weekend. 

Going into this - this business of starting a new company - had been the hardest thing she had ever done. Her life hadn’t necessarily been easy with the divorce, her father’s passing, and working half a dozen part-time jobs in lieu of attending university. But this… starting her own business from the ground up… had been a league of its own. She recalled the number of times she had looked up to the ceiling in her bedroom, talking herself into quitting because the stress of everything was overwhelming and seemingly never-ending. Lately, she found herself going down the same path and entertaining the same thoughts. But she knew that if it wasn’t for this, she wouldn’t have met Jipyeong or the Samsan Tech guys and Saha. And it was truly the best reward she could ask for.

She sighed, standing up as quietly as possible as to not wake her snoring Halmeoni. She skipped over to the bench and slid into the empty space next to her sister, “Dosan-ah, don’t give away our company secret for free!” They laughed and continued their conversation, Dalmi content to share a blanket with her sister and listen, willing her brain to quiet down.

The next morning, she woke up at dawn and found everyone still asleep judging by the chorus of snores from the neighboring tents. Gingerly, she slid her foot inside her boots, not bothering to tie the laces, and wrapped herself in her blanket as she walked out of her tent. She checked to make sure that Halmeoni and Injae were still fast asleep before she zipped it close and took in the semi-darkness.

It was one of those cool, dewy mornings where there was a chill persistent in the air. She noted gratefully that they decided to do the camping now instead of later when the autumn weather would have shifted to the harsh winter. There were still some shades of orange in the trees, signs of some warmth remaining in the air. Pulling the blanket to cover her ears and nose, she spotted a figure seated on a rock a little way removed from their campsite. She recalled seeing Saha and Chulsan spending a lot of time on that rock last night, marveling at the view of the city lights below. Jipyeong kept his eyes trained at the horizon as she took a seat next to him.

“Did you have fun?” She knew that he wasn’t the most excited at the prospect of spending the weekend with people he worked with.

“The trio were really bad at poker,” he answered.

At the mention of the Samsan Tech guys, she laughed, recalling how they ended the night with so many things drawn on their faces as a result of their loss.

They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, taking in the view of the fog clearing away with the rising of the sun. Suddenly, it seemed impossible for her to hold it in any longer and she let out a deep sigh, which communicated everything that had been weighing her down for the past few months. It was the sigh of all sighs that Jipyeong interpreted accurately because he stayed silent, letting her have the space she needed to breathe.

The silence stretched on for a while longer. With each passing second, she felt herself getting lighter and lighter. With each breath, it was getting easier and easier to breathe. So she focused on taking slow, measured breaths, finding comfort in the fact that he was next to her too, doing just the same.

Her eyes caught the sight of Jipyeong’s shoes, no doubt expensive, but now cuffed and dirtied. This made her smile - a reminder that camping was truly not something he typically did, but that he went anyway because of her. With the warmth growing in her chest, she leaned her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Thank you for coming.”

As her eyes fluttered shut, she felt him nod in response. Hours later, she woke up after having the best sleep she’s had in the past year, still leaning against his shoulder.

***

A week later, she walked into work with the same heaviness that she had prior to the camping trip. Whatever reprieve she received from that weekend getaway had quickly evaporated.

Yesterday, NoonGil reached 100,000 daily active users and as everyone cheered and celebrated, she found herself unable to pretend any longer. Not wanting to be a downer, she excused herself, feigned some vague illness, and went home early. She needed to wallow in worry and anxiety over how they were going to get through this. The truth of the matter is that they needed money, a lot of it, and they needed it fast. She did quick math on her desk and felt tears threatening to fall out at what the numbers told her. They had maybe one month at most before their seed fund ran out. She spent the rest of the night racking her brain for ideas on how they were going to survive this but came up empty. It had been another week of sleepless nights and she knew that she needed to come clean and be frank with her team about what’s going on.

So the next day, she was just about to school her face into a facade of calm when she heard Chulsan yelp from the office. She walked in and saw her team celebrating.

“What’s going on?” she asked, bracing herself to hear another growth in their daily active user which was surely going to worsen her already-throbbing headache.

“Dong Cheon came by ten minutes ago to tell us that Biofarm requested a meeting with us. Apparently, they heard about the medication-identifying feature we’re developing and wanted to invest!”

It took her a few moments to let it all sink in before she joined in the celebration, hugging Saha a little tighter than she intended. This was the answer to her prayers and she knew exactly who was responsible. So when everyone was heading out to celebrate with an early lunch, she said that she’ll meet them at the restaurant. An hour later, she arrived at the neighborhood restaurant that regularly frequented with Jipyeong in tow. Without having to explain, they knew exactly why he was there and cheered when he sat down at their table.

“Can I call you hyung?” Dosan asked as he poured water onto the empty metal cup in front of Jipyeong who looked uncomfortable by the commotion.

“Thank you, really. Partnership with Biofarm is really gonna help us,” Yongsan was able to communicate more intelligibly, which earned a nod from Jipyeong.

“You’re the best - really. Don’t tell Boss Lady but you’re the best partner in the firm,” Chulsan’s grin was wide.

Next to him, Dalmi smiled to herself, grateful that for once, Jipyeong was getting the recognition he deserved, even if it meant him sitting through a two-hour lunch with her team, thoroughly uncomfortable by all the attention.


	3. Chapter 3

A Monday morning for Seo Dalmi typically consisted of a few things but mainly coffee. While Sandbox was equipped with robots who would deliver coffee to your seat, Dalmi preferred the experience of stepping into a coffee shop where the hustle and bustle were a mix of cozy cafe music and patrons lining up to get their fill of caffeine at 07:30 am. It was a specific type of chaos that was comforting, especially now that she could just line up to get coffee instead of working behind the counters, making three or four servings of Americanos at once to fill the orders.

After what felt like months of neverending pressure, she was finally feeling like she could enjoy her morning coffee without rushing out the door. The update was just released a few days ago and so far, the response has been better than expected. With the country’s biggest pharmaceutical company on board, they were able to breathe easy and the lightness in her steps was a testament to that.

Walking across the lot to the Sandbox building, she spied a familiar figure walking ahead. She could identify those shoulders and gait anywhere, so she jogged to catch up.

“Good morning,” she greeted once her steps matched his, a little out of breath.

Jipyeong wasn’t exactly the definition of a ray of sunshine but he’d usually throw a small smirk or a grumpy pout, which she found adorable. But this morning, he remained expressionless, which was not necessarily unusual but sent a pang of concern down her chest. She noted the dark circles under his eyes and wondered if he had stayed late in the office last night. She was just about to ask when she saw his assistant wave at him from the distance. Only when she waved back that she noticed the expression on Dong Cheon’s voice, but before he could say anything, he was already tapping her shoulder lightly and walking ahead.

For the rest of the day, she tried to forget the short little non-exchange and focused on work. There were a lot of social media campaigns and video advertisements to review with Saha and the ad agency. After a few days of unanswered messages, she came up with an excuse to go to his side of the building where she popped her head in to see if he was there (he wasn’t). A gnawing sense of urgency began to develop as she walked back to her office, trying to think of what could have happened to him that he’s been practically MIA for most of the week. She was still deep in thought when Chulsan called her name.

“Are you okay?” he asked in his good-natured, satoori accent. 

“Yes,” she smiled. He seemed to be walking towards their office, so the two fell into the same pace. She pondered for a few seconds before asking, “Does Jipyeong seem weird to you?”

“Director Han?”

“Yes, him,” she had forgotten that everyone in Sandbox called him that. “Does he seem quiet? Colder?”

“He’s always been a bit quiet and cold,” he answered with a shrug.

She shook her head, “Something is definitely off…” she muttered to herself.

The answer to her question came in the form of Dong Cheon who stepped into the elevator the next afternoon. The guy seemed a little taken aback by the intensity in which she asked as he answered, “Director Han is taking a sick day.”

Now it was her turn to be taken aback because Han Jipyeong, for as long as she’s known her, has never once taken a day off work. In fact, it was one of the things that people in Sandbox like to say to newbies to instill the fear of God in them - that you need Han Jipyeong’s work ethic to be able to make it in this industry, which meant never taking the day off in the entirety of your career. She had rolled her eyes when she first heard this anecdote before quickly realizing that she, too, never took a day off in her life. They were both insane workaholics, clearly, and she was resigned to never holding that against him.

So the news that he was taking the day off had truly come as a surprise that she immediately dialed the number of the one person she knew would take this news with the same level of worry as her.

“Halmeoni,” she stepped out of the elevator, “Han Jipyeong is sick. I just saw his assistant--”

“Sick? What are you talking about?” her grandmother’s voice had the usual shrill and curt quality that really meant utmost affection, which typically made her smile, but she frowned as she listened to her grandmother’s answer, “He’s sitting right here in front of me, bothering me. I can’t even do my job…”

Twenty minutes later, Dalmi found her Halmeoni and Jipyeong under one of the plastic umbrellas by the hot dog stall, seemingly talking as if nothing was amiss. But as she got closer, whatever burst of anger had motivated her steps evaporated as she noticed how pale and tired he looked.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were sick?”

“I’m not sick.”

She scoffed as she sat down at the empty chair nearby, “Tell that to those eyebags.”

“You shouldn’t be mean to someone sick.”

“So you  _ are  _ sick.”

He huffed, “I’m just…” he hid a cough on his sleeves, “Just… a bit under the weather.”

She rolled her eyes, “Keep telling yourself that. And why are you eating hot dogs?” she nagged when she noticed the empty platter in front of him, “Eat something better.”

“Don’t hurt Halmeoni’s feelings.”

“My feelings are not hurt, but it will be if you two keep staying here just to argue,” the older woman said as she stood up and walked towards the stall to tend to an approaching customer.

She was about to nag him some more but decided against it when she saw him close his eyes, “Will you let me drive you home?”

“I can drive myself,” he answered, eyes still shut.

“Fine. Then you go home with me and Halmeoni.”

“I have a house.”

“Congratulations. Will you please let me take you there?”

She was prepared to argue some more - knowing full well how stubborn he is - when his eyes snapped open and he sat straighter, alarmed, “There’s an emergency at home.”

When they arrived at his apartment, he went straight to the windowsill where he poured water on a pot of plant. Throughout the ride, she had suppressed the urge to hound him with questions on account of how exhausted and worried he looked. But when he made no move to step away from the plant, she could no longer hold her tongue.

“That’s the emergency?”

He nodded.

“Unbelievable,” she muttered as she walked to his kitchen.

When she returned, he was seated at the dining table, head on his palms as if he was trying to hold himself up. She placed the bowl of hot broth and urged him to eat.

“Am I mean?”

She frowned, “What?” taken aback by the sudden question.

“Am I a mean person?”

She pondered for a moment before answering, “No. There’s a difference between being mean and not saying things in the nicest way.”

“Aren’t they synonyms?”

She shook her head, “No. It’s the intent. Mean means you want to hurt someone, but not saying things in the nicest way probably means that you don’t have a very good emotional intelligence.”

“Are you saying I don’t have good EQ?”

“I didn’t say it.”

He was silent, sipping on his broth slowly.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head.

She wanted to pester and force him to tell her what was bothering him, but instead, she told him about Chulsan making a bet with the other guys about his favorite football team and how he was now going to have to shave his head as a consequence. And about how Saha has been on this new juice cleanse which was making everyone in the entire team miserable since she was much grumpier than usual (“Is that even possible?” he asked and she mournfully nodded). For a few moments there, she was happy to see him smile and laugh but they quickly evaporated into thin air as he continued to work on his broth.

Later, she was about to open the door to leave when he asked, “Did I ever hurt your feelings? You know… with my horrible EQ.”

“No,” she began, “Well… maybe once. Or twice. Or thrice?”

He grimaced bitterly but she quickly placed her hand on his arm, “But I know that you’re just telling the truth. And only a good person does that. In fact, it would be mean if you start saying nice things that aren’t true.”

He placed a hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. The smile he sent her was weak but grateful and she wanted so badly to just step forward and envelop him into a hug to take away all the heaviness on his shoulders.

This tendency of his to be incredibly blunt has earned him admirers and enemies alike. He was known for his sharp tongue - everyone knew this about him and it was one of the things that made him great at what he does. He wasn’t one who’ll tell you things you want to hear and it was why so many start-ups sought him out. She herself had been on the receiving end of many of his less-than-pleasant observations and even though it hurt to hear at the time, she knew that she was lucky to have someone so willing to be that honest with her. The fact that he was questioning himself, his inner goodness, broke her heart because she truly believed that Han Jipyeong never said or did anything without good intentions. It was clear as day, even when he picked apart the CEO of her former company. She knew that everything he had said that day was true - that he was just trying to spare them the trouble of working on a product which will just become obsolete, that it was for their own good to face the truth as soon as possible. But still, even knowing all of that, it still hurt to hear and that was why people either love him or hate him. They either see past his words and see his intentions or they’re content to see him as the bad guy. It was not an easy thing, being Han Jipyeong.

“Get some sleep,” she squeezed his arm one last time before walking out the door, “Call me when you wake up?”

He nodded and the dimples on his cheeks appeared as he said, “Thank you.”

As she walked down the hall, away from his apartment, she realized that there were very few things she wouldn’t do to be the receiving end of those dimples.

_ Oh shit. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch the allusion to Yongsan and his older brother in this chapter? I felt like this was another way to address how Jipyeong had to come to terms with that - but with Dalmi entirely in his camp.
> 
> See you in the next update! :)


	4. Chapter 4

How many times has one ever truly fallen in love? Seo Dalmi did not know the answer to that question and she herself wasn’t sure that she ever will because she decided that being in love was an all-consuming experience.

It has been a week since Jipyeong returned to work, in good health and good spirits, which really meant he went back to working ridiculous hours and dragging Dong Cheon along with him. Things went back to normal with them too, though the bickering and arguing felt slightly different now that she realized that she had actual, real feelings for him beyond annoyed and angry. For one, it was just much more difficult to be upset at someone whose mere presence made her blush. She hadn’t realized just how distracting he was with his crisp suits and deep voice. How could he make the terms and conditions on the back of a promotional leaflet sound so appealing? She noticed how often he laughed when they were together too - it just burst out of him in such an easy, unrestrained way that it was impossible to look away. And of course, there were the dimples.

She has cataloged every single angle and juncture of the dimples on his cheeks that she was certain that she could draw an exact likeness if she had any sort of artistic bone in her body. It was a mesmerizing feature of his that she did not realize had  _ that  _ much magnetic power. All she wanted to do was either make him smile or laugh so she could see those dimples again or hide in embarrassment because he was making it hard for her to concentrate.

In other words, everything about Han Jipyeong had suddenly become an incredible distraction.

“Did you read the pitch deck I sent you?”

She looked up to find him staring at her with a tinge of confusion in his expression. She quickly observed her surroundings before realizing where she was.

_ Hack-a-thon. Mentor. Right. _

“Uh… no, not yet,” she mumbled.

“Are you okay? You seem a little flushed.”

She felt her cheeks reddened in embarrassment at his inquiry because she could not very well tell him the truth. He had come into work this morning with his hair swooped up instead of his usual look and she felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of his exposed forehead.

_ Ridiculous. Seo Dalmi, you are patently ridiculous. _

“I mean, everyone knew that about you already. But why are your cheeks so red? Did I give you a cold?”

She was positive that she was as red as a lobster at this point. “What? No. It’s just really hot in here,” she fanned herself with the papers in front of her.

“Really? You’re usually always so cold,” he fiddled with the AC remote for a moment while she willed herself to stop sneaking glances in his direction. They were supposed to be meeting about her possibly being one of the mentors for the Hack-a-thon, but here she was, distracted by Han Jipyeong’s  _ forehead. _

Miraculously, she made it through the rest of the meeting and was actually able to listen and discuss this mentorship program. But by the time they were standing outside of the meeting room, she decided that what she needed was space - actual physical space - to think and assess this whole being in love thing. So she made an excuse about her team asking for an emergency meeting. She practically jogged away from him, leaving him a bit dumbfounded and confused.

When she reached her office, she spotted Saha by the beanbags with an iPad and a pencil. She sauntered over and planted herself next to the woman who glared at the disruption. At this point, Dalmi was immune to the Saha Stare, so she turned to the woman and asked, “Have you ever been in love?”

Saha looked like she was gearing up to nag but was stopped by Dalmi’s question before looking down at her iPad with a knowing smirk.

“Why do you ask?”

“Just answer the question.”

Saha made swooping lines with her pencil, “Of course.”

“How does it feel?”

“Like…” she drew a curve before erasing it and doing it again, the lines less harsh this time, “Like your senses are sharper and weaker at the same time.”

Dalmi was not expecting such an abstract answer from the woman who was typically the logical brain of the group - who’d always sidestep any form of sentimentality.

“Everything is heightened but also… softer at the same time?” she asked, staring absentmindedly at the lines that Saha continued to sketch. She’s seen Chulsan do this - just sit by Saha’s side as she worked - and she now understood how the guy could do it for hours on end. There’s the fact that he was hopelessly in love with Saha but she has to admit that it is rather mesmerizing.

Saha nodded, “Everything about the person just seemed so much more important. Their steps, what they wear, what they say, what they’re eating…”

She nodded in agreement, mentally checking off the things that aligned with her experience thus far.

“...the way they do their hair,” Saha smirked pointedly at this and Dalmi immediately reddened in embarrassment.

“Hm,” she attempted for noncommittal though the smile on Saha’s face seemed to suggest that it wasn’t convincing anyone.

“But is it always this… overwhelming?”

Instead of answering, Saha stood up and walked away but not before she placed her iPad on Dalmi’s lap. When she looked down, she saw a simple drawing of two figures, a man and a woman in profile with smiles on their lips. The features weren’t all there but it was distinctive enough to know who they were. Underneath, Saha’s gorgeous penmanship spelled out: “Yes.”

She decided, however, that she did not agree with Saha.

As she observed the comfortable banter between Jipyeong, her sister, and her grandmother (while her mom calmly munched on the snacks, completely unaffected by the discussion on which beach in Korea was the best), all she felt was a sense of rightness _. _ He was such a regular guest of her house that he felt like a member of the family - like a piece of furniture that had been there for years, completely belonging as a fixture of the home. And it has extended beyond figurative speech as the large house slipper and the extra toothbrush in the bathroom were very much real evidence of his belonging in her home.

How had this escaped her notice until now?

“Dalmi-ya,” Halmeoni nudged her arm, “What are you thinking about? You’ve been quiet for too long.”

When she focused, she noticed everyone staring at her. So she shook her head, “Just… stuff. Work.” While everyone else nodded and moved on to discuss whatever new topic was on the table, she saw his gaze linger on her for a beat longer, an unspoken question of ‘are you okay’ which she ignored on the account of how it made her heart skip many beats.

A few hours later, she found herself alone with Jipyeong in the living room. Everyone else had gone to bed, leaving them to whatever drama was airing on TV. They were seated shoulder to shoulder on the sofa, her foot tucked under her legs. The table was littered with a dozen empty cans of beer and a few empty bags of snacks. 

“Look at that,” she pointed at the TV where a guy had chased a woman out into the rain, grabbing her wrist before professing his undying love for her, “The rain just makes it so much more romantic.”

He scoffed, “It’s a recipe for illness. And look at him grabbing her. I’d never do that to someone I love.”

“What would you do then?” she turned to face him, feeling loose and brave, courtesy of the alcohol in her system.

“Do what?”

“To someone you love. How would you do it?” the words were out of her mouth before she could process them and she immediately noticed the redness creeping on his ears and smiled.  _ Adorable,  _ she thought.

“Definitely not like that,” he mumbled.

“That’s not an answer.”

He stood up abruptly, making her lean back from the sudden movement. He looked nervous, which made her giggle. “It’s late. Sleep in the guest room,” she stood up too, “You know where the clean clothes are.”

She didn’t catch whatever he said in response before she plopped herself into bed, smiling. She decided that falling in love, while overwhelming, is also quite wonderful.

***

A few weeks later, she was reading through a report while making an impressive dent on a bag of Hershey’s peppermint kisses that she purchased the night prior when Jipyeong walked in. After exchanging cursory greetings with everyone else in the room, he stopped by her chair and narrowed his eyes at the pile of wrappers by the keyboard.

“Are you twelve?”

She had half a mind to be embarrassed being caught with a hand in the proverbial cookie jar but decided against it. Everyone knew that this was her favorite seasonal candy and she was not going to let him shame her.

“What are you doing here?” She kept her voice low. 

“I was going to ask if you could have the year-end report ready for the board meeting next week but now I’m more concerned about your dental health.”

She rolled her eyes, “The report’s not due until this Friday. We’ll get it to you by then. And my teeth are fine.” She turned back to the report.

“These aren’t real chocolate you know,” he twirled a candy between his fingers.

“Of course it is. It’s white chocolate and peppermint aka the best part about winter.”

He snorted, “ _ This  _ is the best part about winter?”

“Peppermint is the best part of the season.”

“You mean toothpaste.”

She rolled her eyes. They’ve had this argument many times before where he’d call her devotion for all things peppermint disgusting and she’d retaliate by purposely buying him peppermint mochas whenever the seasonal drink became available. So she knew that he was just trying to rile her up.

“I’m actually reviewing the report now. I’ll email it to you by the end of the day.”

He nodded, satisfied, before placing the candy on the top of her head. “Thank you,” he said before walking away.

Thirty minutes later, her phone vibrated with a message containing a screenshot from a website with the words ‘Holiday HERSHEY’S KISSES Candy Cane Mint Candies’ in big bold letters followed by a brief description.

_ ‘See? Not white chocolate!’ _ his message read.

She couldn’t suppress the chuckle that his message elicited as she replied with the eye roll emoji.

“Jipyeong hyung?” Dosan’s voice brought her back to reality and she nodded. She missed the knowing smile on his lips as she returned to her work, chewing on the peppermint kiss that was on her head, oblivious to the looks exchanged by her colleagues.

Rolling her eyes, Saha broke the silence to ask about the upcoming networking party that Dalmi was invited to. “I promised my parents I would go on a trip with them this winter. Will you be okay going on your own?” she asked. Among everyone in the company, Saha was perhaps the savviest when it came to these social events given her own upbringing. Dalmi, on the other hand, had only been to a handful of these and each time was accompanied by Saha who had guided her smoothly through the evenings. This upcoming event would be the first one where Saha would be absent.

“I’ll be fine,” she answered as she pulled up the e-vite on her screen. She nodded towards Dosan, “He’ll go with me.”

She frowned as she read the dress code listed, “What's ‘festive professional’?” she asked the room, even though it was really a question for Saha. “Seasonal colors but nothing too fancy,” she deftly explained, typing away on her phone.

“Ooh…” Dosan nodded, “So like RGB colors? Since it has red and green too. Christmas colors.”

The look that Saha sent his way was immediate, which was enough to make the guy look down on his keyboard and resumed his work. To Dalmi, she said, “I’m already ordering a few outfits for you to try. Sending you pictures of them now. It’ll come tomorrow - just come over to my house and pick which one you want to rent.”

“Black suit. White shirt. Tie,” she said pointedly at Dosan who nodded quickly before asking, “Black pants too?” In response to that, Saha rolled her eyes which was answer enough for the guy.

Dalmi chuckled at the exchange, already distracted by the photos of dresses that Saha just sent her. They were all such gorgeous outfits that were a far cry from her own wardrobe’s repertoire and even though most days she preferred functionality over flash, she did enjoy having the excuse to doll up for these parties.

“Who’s Jipyeong hyung attending with?” Yongsan suddenly asked.

Dalmi stilled, wondering the same.

“I heard that he always goes alone to the Holiday Party,” Chulsan answered - he had an uncanny ability to know all the latest news in Sandbox.

Before she could ponder upon this new piece of information, her computer ding-ed with a reminder about an upcoming lunch meeting and she shelved the topic on the back of her mind until a few days later. She and Jipyeong were on the way back to her house - Halmeoni had texted to inform them that she made far too much  _ japchae  _ and that Jipyeong was to come and help them finish it off. As usual, they filled the journey with talks about everything and nothing at all, which would more often than not lead to an argument. But tonight, the mood was cordial and conversational so she decided to bring up the networking party.

“What do I need to prepare for the party? This seems less straightforward from the other networking parties I’ve been to,” she asked. The previous parties she attended were much smaller and were very industry-specific. The SH Venture’s annual Holiday Party, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast that Dalmi was not sure she knew how to tackle. Was she supposed to just be socializing? Or was she supposed to have her pitch deck on hand?

“Nothing. It’ll just be a chance to get to know more people, build possible connections. You know the drill,” he answered.

She noted how his answer did not assuage her nerves. Of course, he’d say that - he’s played host to these parties ever since he’s joined SH Ventures and adding the fact that he’s never been a CEO of a burgeoning start-up, Han Jipyeong had no reason to find these events nerve-wracking. She made a mental note to ask her sister and other CEOs who've been in Sandbox longer than her for tips when Jipyeong asked, “Are you going with Dosan?”

“Who else would I go with?”

He said nothing in response.

“Why do you ask?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

“Oo… kay,” she said, “Who are you going with?”

“I always go alone,” his answer came out hoarse and tight.

“Do you want me to go alone?” she fished, trying her best to keep the grin off of her face.

He shook his head, “No. Go with Dosan.”

“I am,” she smiled.

He grunted what sounded like ‘okay’ before spending the rest of the ride in relative silence.

At dinner, his mood seemed to have improved, especially when Halmeoni began to tell them about the _ahjussi_ at the market who she believed was giving her less flour than she purchased. When he pointed out that she purchased her flour in sacks and that the _ahjussi_ would have no way of skimming some for himself, she grumpily insisted that the sack was lighter than usual and that he needed to be reported to the police. The amused look they exchanged above Halmeoni’s head told her that everything was fine, so she was surprised when he asked her to walk him to his car.

“Did you bring the rest of the  _ japchae? _ ” she asked as he deposited his things in the back seat. He closed the door and nodded.

“You’ll do great at the networking party,” he said instead, “Think of it as an evening of free drinks and meeting new people.”

“I suppose…”

“They’ll love you. Don’t worry about it. ” he squeezed her shoulder before climbing into his car.

As she watched his car drive away, she marveled at the way his words had the power to soothe the nerves she thought she had successfully pushed down - or at times, nerves she didn’t realize she had.

But by the time the party rolled around, the nerves crept back up as she chatted with a fidgety Dosan who could not seem to stop bouncing on his feet. She knew that he was nervous - he was not made for these types of functions despite him being the brain of their company. That was why it was usually Saha or her that handled the social events. But tonight, his nerves seemed to just compound hers, making her palm more clammy than usual. When she saw Injae walking towards her, she breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to finally have someone to guide her through the evening. Her sister took them to a few small tables, introducing them to her friends and other CEOs.

She was just settling into a conversation with a CEO of a carbon footprint tracker app when she spotted him across the room.

He was in a sharp black number - no doubt expensive - with his hair styled up in a way that always made her slightly dizzy. The smile that appeared on her lips was automatic and when he noticed her, mid-conversation with whoever he was mingling with, she relished the sight of the dimples that emerged just for her.

She turned back to her conversation, trying her best to fully listen while her eyes tracked the way he seemed to be wrapping up his discussion. When she saw him walk towards her, she politely passed her business card to the CEO and excused herself so she could meet him in a slightly less crowded corner of the room.

“Hi,” she greeted when they were finally faced to face.

He said nothing though she could feel the way he was cataloging her every feature tonight as she sent a silent prayer to Saha and her stubborn insistence on sending her to a salon in preparation for tonight. The red strapless number she rented for tonight was paired with a gorgeous blowout which left her hair cascading down her back in gentle waves and a simple make-up that was finished off with a bold red lip to match the dress.

“Hyung!” Dosan’s voice broke them out of whatever daze they were both in. The guy bounded towards them, slightly less fidgety than he was earlier but still noticeably uncomfortable.

“Have you seen the exhibition on the third floor? We commissioned a local artist to create an installation about binary numbers.”

His explanation yielded the predicted response as Dosan rushed away, leaving Dalmi to narrow her eyes at a very smug-looking Jipyeong.

“Very smooth,” she said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She rolled her eyes, unable to keep the smile off of her face.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

“Thanks. You too.”

They said nothing else, exchanging small smiles which only captured a fraction of the feelings erupting inside. For the first time in her life, she understood what they meant when they say that the world falls away because, at that moment, it was just her and Jipyeong in their little corner of the room. Her fingers itched to touch the forehead that was now exposed, wanting to feel the smoothness of his skin there before tracing the lines of his dimples -  _ those dimples  _ \- which framed his lips. But she kept her hands rooted by her side before slipping her arm around his, gently nudging them out of their bubble.

“Make the rounds?”

He nodded.

They walked around the room, him introducing her to more CEOs who all seemed to be doing great amazing things with their companies. It was all fascinating now that she was able to get through this party with the comfort and security of him by her side. She understood why these parties are so important because it was so easy for her to be caught up with running the little company that she became isolated from the rest of the industry. It was comforting to know that she wasn’t the only one figuring things out as she went - that she was not alone in this uphill battle. She was surprised by the number of genuine laughs that she had, listening to horror stories that sounded familiar as CEOs shared the crazy lengths they had gone to for their company. Sure there were some insufferably and stuffy investors that she had to politely laugh for, but all in all, she was grateful to be in the company of peers and mentors.

By the end of the night, she tugged at his sleeve and he quickly excused them from the group before walking to a small table in the corner of the room. She felt her shoulder drop the moment her elbows rested on the table.

He laughed, “Exhausted?”

She nodded. “You didn’t warn me about how much walking was involved in these things,” she winced as she shifted on her foot.

His gaze drifted down to her shoes for a moment. “Two more,” he offered, “Two more introductions, and then we’ll head out.”

She sighed but nodded - these types of gatherings don’t happen very often and she shouldn’t let her feet prevent her from possibly making strategic business partnerships. So when he took her hand and used it to guide her arm to slip around his again, she smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted Dalmi to be the one kind of hopelessly in love since we got so much of Jipyeong being in love w Dalmi in the drama. I hope that was conveyed well enough in this update.
> 
> The next chapter will be the last. See you then! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay - I've been working on my dissertation since the beginning of the year. Here's the last chapter. Enjoy!

It happened like this: Dalmi was just en route to her sister’s office for their lunch date - she had snagged a reservation at this very popular brunch spot in Dongdaemun - when she walked in and found her sister, pacing rapidly at the other end of the room. While that in itself was out of the ordinary for Won Injae who was the definition of cool as a cucumber, what was more alarming was the state of her sister’s typically immaculate straight bob. It was disheveled like she had run her hair through it one too many times, and that was  _ not  _ a behavior anyone would associate with Won Injae.

“What’s wrong?” she rushed forward, quickly finding herself next to her sister, holding her by the shoulder to stop her pacing.

Instead of answering, Injae bit her nail while staring at the two monitors. On them were a slew of codes that she did not understand and before she had to ask, one of the engineers standing by the monitor explained, “A ransomware. They’re asking for 2 billion.”

She felt her blood turn cold at the figure. While the sisters never disclosed any specific information about the finances of their respective start-ups, she knew enough to know that 2 billion won would practically be the end of Injae Company. So she did the first thing she could think of and dialed a number on her phone.

“Hello?” she kept one hand on her sister’s back. “Ransomware. Two b… billion,” was all she said before the person on the other end hung up.

Five minutes later, Jipyeong ran in - his hair windswept and nametag on his back. Behind him were her engineers who quickly leaned over the monitors.

“I stopped by your office first,” he explained when he reached her side. When she nodded, confirming that she was okay, he turned his attention to Injae who was now visibly shaking. “How much time do we have?” he asked.

“S… six hours.”

Dalmi’s hold on her sister’s arm tightened at the number.

“Okay. How much do you have?” without missing a beat, he steered Injae towards the empty table and sat her down. Dalmi stayed rooted in her space, watching six engineers crowding around a few monitors and typing away furiously. In her periphery, she followed the movements of the two most important people in her life as they engaged in a serious discussion. Moments later, when Jipyeong walked away to speak on the phone, she sat in his seat and grabbed a hold of Injae’s hand.

“It’ll be okay,” she rubbed her thumb across her sister’s hand, trying to keep her from crumbling to the ground.

Their relationship had not been the smoothest - after their parents’ divorce and their mom’s subsequent move to the US, they had drifted apart. Five years ago, when their mom returned to Korea after divorcing her husband, the siblings reconnected but there was now an undercurrent of rivalry too which was mostly harmless but definitely present. Now, though, looking at Injae on the verge of a breakdown, all she felt was fear and worry for her sister.

Later, Dalmi was grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge when Jipyeong appeared next to her. “Their money’s tied up in other things,” he explained, bending down to grab another bottle. “2 billion won is an insane amount for any startups to have on hand,” he muttered more quietly before taking a big gulp of water. At that moment, his phone rang and he handed the half-empty bottle to her, walking to another quiet corner of the room, while Dalmi walked back to her sister.

The next few hours went by in very much the same manner with Dalmi staying faithfully by Injae’s side while the engineers attempted to crack the code. There were plenty of cursing and slowly, the only sound heard was quiet, exhausted groans interspersed by the sound of keyboard clicking. Injae kept glancing at the clock on the wall, biting her lips in the process, seemingly willing the hand to slow down. But the deep sigh coming from Dosan was not settling Dalmi’s nerves. She knew that they were not making any sort of progress. Whoever was behind the attack was good.

There were maybe thirty minutes left to the deadline and the entire room had descended into eerie, defeated silence when suddenly, Chulsan yelped. Everyone quickly gathered around the monitor where Dosan announced, “They released the files.” There were a few moments of quiet disbelief that passed the group before everyone erupted in cheers. It took a while before they puzzled out what had happened but it seemed that somehow, the ransom was paid and their files were returned in pristine condition. Injae quickly dismissed everyone after they finished backing up their files and Dalmi went home glad that the day was finally over. It wasn’t until the next morning that she learned who was ultimately responsible for the release of the files.

The sisters were walking down the hallway towards their respective offices when Injae said, “Jipyeong is really an amazing guy.” Instead of elaborating, Injae shot her a look which told Dalmi all she needed to know.

Before she knew it, she was marching through his office to where he was standing with Dong Cheon on the other side of the room, deep in conversation. Before he could get a word out, she already launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a fierce embrace. He staggered a few steps back at the momentum before wrapping his arms around her torso to pull her back slightly.

“Wha--” he began before noticing the stunned silence in the room that accompanied the wide-eyed looks from his employees. He pulled her into the empty meeting room and before the door was fully shut, she immediately asked, “It was you, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

She shook her head and just kissed him, holding his face in her hand. She stayed on her tippy toes, gleaming brightly at Jipyeong who seemed frozen in place.

“Just say you’re welcome,” she smiled when she still said nothing.

This time, his smile appeared almost in slow-motion along unlike the redness on his ears. She giggled, setting her foot down on the ground while keeping her eyes trained on the dimples emerging in full force.

“So you are human after all,” she touched his reddened ears, “I guess they can’t call you Investment Droid anymore.”

“They call me WHAT?”

***

“Does this mean I need to leave SH Ventures?” she asked that night. They were sitting in his car, hands intertwined. It was amazing how right some things just felt despite the newness of it all. Dalmi didn’t know how she was able to survive not knowing how comfortable it was to be holding his hand. At the moment, it seemed inconceivable.

“Why would you-- of course not,” he scoffed.

“But the conflict of interest…” she couldn’t hide the concern in her voice.

“As far as I’m concerned, my interest in you is none of SH Ventures’ business.”

She couldn’t help but blush at the implication of his words while Jipyeong sported an annoyingly smug smirk. With her index finger, she traced the lines of his dimple and he grabbed her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her palm. For a moment, they savored the warmth of this bubble they were in.

“If you want to keep this between the two of us for now, until we find a better time to tell everyone, I’m fine with that,” he offered a few moments later.

“Thank you,” she squeezed his hand in gratitude.

“As long as you can keep yourself from launching at me in the office, then we’ll be fine…” he added.

She pulled her hand away, blushing furiously at the memory of what she did this morning. “Yah…” she chastised him weakly, which made him pull her hand back into his, smirking happily.

She didn’t quite know how to explain why she just impulsively threw herself at him like that. It was as if something in her just snapped. The knowledge of Jipyeong moving mountains for her sister was just the thing that caused all this pent-up affection to bubble over and she just couldn’t stop herself from acting on it.

They continued to lazily talk about anything and everything for a while until the sound of Halmeoni rapping against the window caught them by surprise. They quickly got out of the car and followed the old woman into the house.

“Took you look enough!” Halmeoni said. Jipyeong, who was in the middle of toeing off his shoes, looked up in surprise. “I was getting worried that Dalmi was going to be a spinster, waiting for you to make a move!” she added as she sauntered to the kitchen, leaving Dalmi to laugh in her wake.

“It was actually me who made the move, Halmeoni,” she said as she sat down at the dining table.

When Halmeoni shot him a sharp look, he scratched his head in embarrassment, “I was… I was waiting for the right time.’

“When would that have been? When I’ve gone completely blind?”

“YAH! Halmeoni!” the two shouted in protest while the old woman waved her hand casually, “Fine, fine. Just eat. The food’s getting cold.”

They tucked into their food obediently and when she felt his knee rest against her, she smiled.

_ Finally. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be completely honest with you, I'm not a fan of how this story turned out. Along the way, I just lost the steam for what I had intended for this story. So I might end up rewriting the entire thing some time in the future.
> 
> Regardless, thank you for reading this imperfect little story. :)


End file.
